Hyundai Motor Group’s decision to open an EV assembly plant in Bryan County marks a critical juncture in the area’s history. It signifies the end of a 20-year search for a major automaker to locate in the region and the beginning of explosive growth to be mapped out in the coming decades.
The EV manufacturer's operations will be the state's largest economic development project, promising more people and more traffic for the area near the factories in north Bryan County.
Commercial crush?:As Hyundai plant builds out, services and suppliers race to be close by
Those people — and their cars — will need services, from restaurants and gas stations to medical care and groceries. With the 8,100-worker facility scheduled to begin production in early 2025, commercial property developers and service industry businesses are making plans to build and open retailers to serve the crush of new activity.
The flurry of anticipation for incoming growth comes after years of preparations for such a project. The wetlands permit for the megasite was filed in 2015 and followed the development of a nearby industrial park, Interstate Centre, an 1,100-acre development that opened in 2006 and is now home to multiple tenants, including Daniel Defense, Blue Bell Creameries and Dorel Home Furnishings.
Hyundai is constructing an 11-building, 16 million-square-foot EV assembly plant in rural Bryan County. The factory is to sit on a 3,000-acre site and is projected to employ 8,100 workers when it reaches full capacity. The opening date is January 2025, an aggressive timeline that speaks to the growing demand for electric vehicles. The schedule also puts a premium on developing infrastructure on and around the site.
This week, Savannah Morning News' journalists will explore the major infrastructure challenges ahead.
Tuesday: Roads, bridges and traffic-related issues
Site preparations on the Hyundai facility officially began Aug. 1. Several operators have already announced plans to set up facilities around the megasite to support the incoming workers, as well as the growing resident population in the north part of the county. Dozens of suppliers are also expected to set up close to the megasite and in nearby counties as well.
However, the larger ripple effect of that growth will become clearer as more dirt and concrete churns and the megasite takes shape.
Here’s what’s coming to Bryan County and the surrounding region so far:
St. Joseph’s/Candler health care system, the region's largest health provider, has announced plans to build two new medical facilities in Bryan County, including one down the street from the megasite. St. Joseph's/Candler also plans to expand its existing Pooler micro-hospital, located 10 miles east of the Hyundai plant, to better serve the incoming population.
Asked how important health care is in community planning, Paul Hinchey, CEO of St. Joseph’s/Candler, said point blank, “It’s significant.”
“It's one of the things that people ask about when they come into a play like this. They'll ask about schools, they'll ask about Quickstart, they'll ask about water sewage and they'll ask about health care,” said Hinchey.
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Three St. Joseph’s facilities currently operate in Richmond Hill and Pembroke, the two incorporated cities of Bryan County. Their services comprise urgent care, primary care, oncology and cardiology. The closest full-service facility is located in Savannah.
Before:St. Joseph's/Candler announces plans for new regional medical facility near Bryan County megasite
St.Joseph’s/Candler is building a six-acre medical complex near the Interstate 16/U.S. 280 interchange. The project will eventually encompass 40,000 square feet and will be home to primary health care services such as primary care physicians, urgent care, occupational therapy and in-demand diagnostic and clinical services.
Hinchey says the North Bryan facility will initially focus on the needs of the workforce there as the residential population isn’t as robust yet, but “eventually will be.”
“It will be primary care, extended hours, heavy on workman’s comp and heavy on [occupational medicine],” said Hinchey.
The site is expected to open July 2024.
In 2019 St. Joseph's/Candler opened a 50,000-square-foot micro-hospital in Pooler. Located on Pooler Parkway just off I-16, it sits on a 31-acre site with plenty of room for expansion, according to Hinchey. The expansion will eventually lead to more sophisticated services and overnight beds across 220,000 square feet of space. The build-out will take place over the next 15 to 20 years.
More:St. Joseph's/Candler partners with Raydient for 27-acre campus in Heartwood at Richmond Hill
In South Bryan County, St. Joseph’s/Candler recently announced a 27-acre campus that will be developed as part of Heartwood at Richmond Hill, a 10,000-home housing development located on Belfast Keller Road near the I-95 interchange. The master plan of the SJC/Heartwood Medical Campus calls for five buildings, starting with a $15 million, 15,000 square-foot facility for primary and urgent care.
The first phase of the project is slated to be completed in February 2024.
Parker’s convenience stores has had a presence near what is now the Bryan megasite since 2008. The Savannah-based gas station and convenience store chain opened the location two miles north of the Hyundai site to serve traffic along U.S. 80.
The company plans to build a new Parker’s Kitchen in late 2023 or early 2024 on an 18-acre site on U.S. 280 closer to the Bryan County megasite entrance. The new location will be a hybrid truck stop and convenience store.
Greg Parker, founder and CEO of Parker’s, said the company has been strategically acquiring sites in key growth areas along I-95 and I-16 for years, the main arteries that lead to the Georgia Port Authority’s operations. Parker described the Bryan County megasite in particular as a “rural acupuncture point.”
“Development is going to radiate from that particular spot,” said Parker, “I expect we will see a number of new residential communities, restaurants, shops and services opening in Bryan County in order to accommodate the new residents who will be moving to the area in the future.”
Another major gasoline retailer, Love's Travel Stop, has a location at the I-16/U.S. 290 interchange as well. Love's opened in 2020.
At the I-16/U.S. 280 juncture, a commercial site called the Interstate Exchange is currently under development. The 41.9-acre site will be located directly adjacent to the megasite and is earmarked for amenities such as restaurants, hotels and convenience stores as well as flex warehouses.
Six of the 11 parcels are currently listed for sale or lease, and four are already under contract, according to Harvey Gilbert, the real estate broker for the property.
The Interstate Exchange development will support the needs of the surrounding residents, employees, and travelers off I-16 as well as two distribution parks located on the north and south sides of the commercial development.
Gilbert could not disclose those specific companies, but did say there would potentially be a hotel, motel, quick-service and fast food restaurants; a travel center, comprised of a convenience store, gas pumps for autos, trucks and 18-wheelers; and a full-service truck stop with overnight repairs and parking.
Gilbert called the development a team effort between the owner of the property, Zeke Gaines, Bryan County and the Bryan County Development Authority.
"I would emphasize that development these days is a collaborative effort," said Gilbert. "And you have to keep open the lines of communication."
The Savannah Harbor-Interstate 16 Joint Development Authority (JDA) said it's already fielding numerous calls from suppliers looking to locate near the megasite. According to the JDA, some are looking to set up close by and others are looking as far as 30 miles away, an indication of how far the growth will radiate out from the main site.
"Hyundai is choosing the suppliers," said Trip Tollison, CEO of the Savannah Economic Development Authority, "As soon as they get the green light, that's where our funds are going."
As an original equipment manufacturer, the Hyundai operation will call for all types of suppliers — everything that needs to go into making an electric car from motors to bumpers to mirrors to door handles to seats.
Nancy Guan is the general assignment reporter covering Chatham County municipalities. Reach her at nguan@gannett.com or on Twitter @nancyguann.